NHL 10: Be a GM Mode Spotlight
If given the reins of your favorite NHL team, what would you do? In my case, as a San Jose Sharks fan, I would first engage the service of a group of malevolent necromancers who, in the course of their unspeakable explorations into the underworld's infernal forces, would concoct an otherworldly solution to the Sharks' penchant for disappearing in the playoffs each and every year. Though “dark magic” isn't an option in the new Be a GM mode in NHL 10, you'll still have plenty of ways to improve your team in this new take on franchise modes, which EA unveiled on Monday during a press event in Vancouver.
In essence, Be a GM mode does for team executives what Be a Pro mode (introduced in last year's NHL game) did for the guys on the ice. You pick a team to take control of, then are set loose on your executive career, one that might include the highest of highs (such as winning one or more Stanley Cups) to the lowest of lows (like getting fired from your favorite team, or heading up the New York Islanders). In between, you'll be responsible for practically all personnel decisions along the way. Basically, the team is in your hands and its success is up to you.
What sets Be a GM mode apart from dynasty mode features of the past is the presentation. Built around menus that are reminiscent of those used in Be a Pro mode, playing as GM in NHL 10 will feel instantly familiar to anyone who played last year's game. Moreover, the mode has a similar method for tracking your progress in the mode. As in NHL 09's Be a Pro mode, completing tasks in Be a GM mode will earn you points you can use to upgrade aspects of your team–in this case the skill level of your staff members.
Speaking of staff, you'll have four assistants at your disposal: amateur scouts (responsible for scouting young, undrafted talent), pro scouts (who key in on trade rumors in the NHL), medical staff (who are tasked with preventing and treating player injuries), and assistant coaches (who develop your players' abilities). Spending earned task points on a staff member will upgrade that staff member's abilities: for instance, upgrading your pro scout to level 2 for instance, will offer more detailed scouting reports on players, yet his reports from the trading block feature will be limited and will presumably improve upon reaching the next skill level.
When you first start the Be a GM mode, you'll be taken through a brief tutorial of the feature, which will introduce you to features like the performance tracker as well as the trade tool. In fact, you'll be required to attempt a trade right away (the trade is only for practice, meant to show how trades work, and won't count in your franchise). The game provides a nice visual graph that shows off the relative strengths of each player, perfect for getting a look at how two players compare, even if you're not familiar with the player you're trading for.
Other new aspects in the trading game include the introduction of a trading block–where you can put players you're looking to offload up on the block and wait for offers from other teams. You'll receive trade offers via phone calls and can choose to either check out a trade offer or ignore it altogether. You'll start the game with a maximum of two “phone calls” available to you at a time–but that number might change depending on your reputation as a GM. Essentially a way to prevent players from cheating the system, your GM rep will determine what kind of manager you are. Your reputation will go up for making skillful trades and building a successful organization; it will decrease if you try and game the system, such as signing a free agent and then immediately trade him. Having a good rep will have a big impact in the mode–a high rep will mean more players will want to play on your team (and thus be more open to trades), and other owners will be open to doing business (thus more phone calls for trade offers). Conversely, playing with a bad rep will mean fewer opportunities, making it tougher to get deals done.
Earning task point will be a matter of completing various tasks throughout the season–and range in difficulty from easy (such as simply playing through the prospects game that features the best talent attending that year's NHL draft) to winning the Stanley Cup. In addition to earning points and upgrading your staff, your GM career will be measured by contracts, just as in the real NHL. Game producers told us that while it is possible to renew a contract, ownership expectations will get tougher the longer you stay with a single team. Naturally, a team can choose to not renew your contract, which will mean hitting the pavement and looking for a GM job with another team in the league.
If Be a GM mode isn't a complete reinvention of dynasty modes, it's at least a new way of presenting this type of gameplay in addition to offering adding features that fans have been begging for, such as a fully functional fantasy draft. The NHL 10 team has put a lot of effort in the presentation of Be a GM to make it attractive for those who might otherwise skip out on the mode. While hardcore dynasty heads will probably want a bit more depth on the financial side of things–there doesn't look to be options for setting prices for tickets or concessions, for example–at the very least it looks to set a good foundation for the future. And who knows, maybe they'll add a “dark magic” option to your GM's tool box in an upcoming sequel. After all, the Sharks can use all the help they can get.
Check out more Be a GM screens here and an EA-produced video of Be a GM mode below.
Read and Post Comments (There are currently 3 other comments) | Get the full article at GameSpot
Popularity: 5% [?]
Leave your response!